Checking out malbecs: rich, affordable reds

Rob KasperThe Baltimore Sun

Malbec is a wine for recessionary times. This red, found in the South American aisle of wine shops, is affordable, with plenty of pleasing offerings in the $10 to $18 range. And the "luxury" end of the malbec line usually lands in the $20 to $30 area, leagues below other high-end wines.

Almost all malbecs are pleasant, easy-to-drink wines. "For people who like full-bodied reds, they are a great substitute for cabernet or merlot," says Vicki Schassler, co-owner of the Spirits of Mt. Vernon wine shop in downtown Baltimore.

Few pack the fireworks that vintage French or California reds deliver. But on wintry nights, with meals of root vegetables or roasted meats, they provide pleasant, affordable company.

In France, malbec has been used primarily as a blending agent. It came into its own as a stand-alone varietal when South American vintners began growing it on the mountainsides of Argentina and Chile. Malbec grapes grown at higher altitudes have less yield but more developed flavors than those grown in the valleys, said Matt Wood, a wine specialist at the Wine Source in Hampden.

As for taste, Wood's colleague, Ian Stalfort, describes malbec as "rich, but smooth, supple and soft." Unlike other inexpensive reds, malbecs have enough substance to keep you interested, he said.

For my tasting, I sampled malbecs in three price ranges: $11 and under, $12 to $19 and more than $19. I picked my favorites in each tier.